Device and respective equipment for receiving and discharging bars, used particularly for handling and/or wrapping purposes downstream of rolling-mills, and its respective rolling-mill

ABSTRACT

Device for receiving and discharging bars fed forward in a longitudinal direction, preferably from a rolling mill and after being cut to length, of the type with two pair of adjacent, counter-rotating rollers/drums, characterized by the fact that the said bars are sent alternately into a zone immediately above each pair of said drums, which rotate and drag the bar between them in a downwards direction, and which subject the bar to elastic, friction compression in order to slow it down while it is being fed forward and then, continuing their rotation, make the bar fall in a pick-up zone below.

[0001] This application is a continuation of pending InternationalPatent Application No. PCT/IT02/00066 filed Feb. 5, 2002, whichdesignates the United States and claims priority of pending ItalianApplication No. UD01A000048 filed Mar. 8, 2001.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The object of this patent is a device and respective equipmentfor receiving and discharging bars, used particularly for handlingand/or wrapping purposes downstream of rolling-mills, as described inthe main claim.

[0003] The rolling plant that is part of the said device is also part ofthe invention.

[0004] The invention is used particularly, but not exclusively, inhot-rolling plants for the production of bars, and in which the aim isthe quick discharge of the rolling-mill.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] There are a number of alternative systems currently used todischarge bars downstream of a rolling-mill, once they have been cut tolength (6/12 m) at an on-the-fly cutting station, also known as a flyingshear, which works in conjunction with a deviation device which deviatesthe bar onto a slow-down and discharge runner or, as an alternative,deviates the successive bar onto a parallel runner adjacent to the firstone.

[0006] The runner-type devices have a series of devices for stopping thebar upstream of the runner and after the said deviator, which grip thetail of the bar and slow it down when it enters into the runner, inorder to halt its longitudinal advancement and to let it be dischargedlaterally onto equipment for successive treatment, such as a coolingbed, a collecting bag where the bundle of bars is then tied, etc.

[0007] A well-known system is described in the Italian Patent Request N°UD98A000085, also presented by SIMAC.

[0008] These well-known solutions have limitations regarding theirperformance and, as stated, and especially in the case of high-speedplants (50 m/sec), need to have devices for slowing the bars down whichmake the equipment rather complicated, increase its complexity andrequires a high amount of maintenance.

[0009] The aim of this invention is to overcome the aforementioneddrawbacks and to increase the overall performance of the plant.

[0010] This and other aims are achieved by applying the inventiondescribed, according to the characteristics contained in the main claim.

[0011] In this way, thanks to the use of an integrated runner, slow-downand discharge system within one single system, the entire plant is morefunctional and reliable.

[0012] Finally, with this system, by installing an on-line cooling orheat-treatment station, the bars may be bundled together and packed atthe exit side of the system without having to go through other coolingsystems, such as a cooling bed, or handling and length-cutting means.

[0013] This means that the rolling plant is very compact and moreeconomical.

[0014] The invention is mainly applied to the production of corrugatediron rods or corrugated bars, but may also be used for other profiles byusing special channeling on the counter-facing drums.

[0015] These and other advantages will be highlighted in the followingdetailed description of preferred solutions and relative illustrations,the details of which are to be considered simply examples and notlimitations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a vertical section, which istransversal with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bars, of theslow-down, discharge and wrapping system of the bars, in this casecorrugated bars.

[0017]FIGS. 2 and 2A are, respectively, enlarged and reduced schematic,transversal, vertical sectional views of the said slow-down and verticaldischarge system, in this case onto a cooling bed, using two pairs ofopposing rollers or drums or eccentrics which float against each other.

[0018]FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a variation to FIG. 2A, showing twodifferent damping systems for the floating movement (elastic-yieldingone against the other) of the said rollers/drums, with channels insteadof the eccentric form, to control the conveying of the bars better.

[0019]FIG. 3A is a schematic illustration of the discharging of bundlesof bars onto an underlying cooling bed, the structure and operation ofwhich is widely used in this sector.

[0020]FIG. 4 is a plan view of an optimum layout of a rolling mill andbundling system for bars, in which the claimed system is used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] With reference to the figures, and in particular FIG. 4, with 1is indicated a heating furnace for the billets to be rolled, 2 indicatesa de-scaling device, 3 indicates a feeding device for moving thematerial forward, 4 indicates the vertical and horizontal rollingstands, 5 indicates a cooling tunnel and, if foreseen, heat treatmentstation, 9 indicates a flying-shear station for cutting the rolled barsto length, 6 is a double-runner system (61) with two pairs of holding,discharge and self-braking rollers/drums (64-64′), 7 is a bundling andbinding system and 8 is a storage area or stocking-area.

[0022] As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 2A, 3 and 3A, the device contained inthis invention includes a double runner for alternated receiving of thebars by means of support 61 which, with pin (hinging) 62 and brackets 63and 65, support a pair of opposing rotating rollers/drums 64 and 64′which take the bars (b) and stop them by friction. The bars are thendischarged downwards onto a cooling bed (P), or onto an extractor with aworm-screw 67, to be discharged onto the bag 711 of a continuoustransfer device 71 which, together with binder 72, is part of a bundlingand tying station 7.

[0023] Since there is a floating movement of the or rollers/drums(65-66) due to external, lateral hydraulic cylinders FIG. 2, 2A,internal, mobile hydraulic cylinders between the support jaws orhelicoidal traction springs (FIG. 3), it is possible to hold bars (b′)with various diameters.

[0024] The lowering phases (A, B and C steps) are illustrated in Fig.3A.

[0025] An advantage of the counter-positioned roller/drums (64, 64′) isthat they may have longitudinal guide channels to collect the bars(641).

[0026] In an alternative version, the roller/drums (64, 64′) have asmooth surface (rollers).

[0027] The rollers/drums (64, 64′) may also be eccentric.

[0028] In the solution illustrated in FIG. 2A, the floating(elastic-yielding) movement occurs on the external cylinders only, whilein FIG. 3 the movement occurs on both cylinders which are held so as toform opposing jaws (65′, 63′) around the upper pin (60), while thetraction means is through a spring 66′ or a hydraulic cylinder 66″.

[0029] The said cylinders (64, 64′) may have either a smooth surface, aknurled surface, a satin-finish surface or a rough surface, according tothe specific requirements.

[0030] The same may be said for the channels (64), with the eccentricitysynchronized according to the rate of the ingress of the bars.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for receiving and discharging bars (b, b′) fed forward in a longitudinal direction, preferably from a rolling mill, after being cut to length, of the type with two pair of adjacent, counter-rotating rollers/drums (64, 64′), characterized by the fact that said rollers/drums (64, 64′), are elastically pushed one against the other in order to receive the said bars (b, b′) sent alternately into a respective zone (S) immediately above each pair of said rollers/drums (64, 64′-A), which rotate and drag the bar between them in a downwards direction (B), and which subject the bar to elastic, friction compression in order to slow it down while it is being fed forward and then, continuing their rotation, make the bar fall (C) in a pick-up zone below (P/67).
 2. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that, below each double pair of rollers/drums (64, 64′), there are a number of transversal rotating means with worm-screws (67) to convey the bars which drop onto them in a in a lateral direction.
 3. A device according to any of the previous claims, characterized by the fact that the said rollers/drums (64, 64′) are supported by elastically yielding means (66).
 4. A device according to the previous claim, characterized by the fact that the said elastically yielding means (66) of the said rollers drums (64, 64′) have a lateral support bracket (63) which oscillates by means of a double hinge (62, 64) with an external, counteracting hydraulic cylinder (66).
 5. A device according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the said elastically yielding means (66) of the said rollers/drums (64, 64′) are mounted on opposing arms to form jaws (65) which are hinged above (6), and which have intermediate, floating traction elastically yielding means (65, 63).
 6. A device according to the previous claim, characterized by the fact that the said floating, traction elastically yielding means (66) are formed by helicoidal springs (66′).
 7. A device according to the previous claim, characterized by the fact that the said floating, traction elastically yielding means (66) are formed by a fluid-operated cylinder (66″).
 8. A device according to the previous claim, characterized by the fact that the said rollers/drums (64, 64′) have a smooth surface.
 9. A device according to any of the previous claims, characterized by the fact that the said rollers/drums (64, 64′) have a knurled surface, a satin-finish surface or a rough surface.
 10. A device according to claims 8 or 9, characterized by the fact that the said rollers/drums (64, 64′) are eccentric.
 11. A device according to any of claims 1-7, characterized by the fact that the said rollers/drums (64, 64′) have guide channels (641) to collect and encase the said bars (b) by clamping them.
 12. A bar-bundling device according to claims 1-2 and any of the remaining claims, characterized by the fact that it includes an integrated bar-discharge device integrated with a slow-down function in the said two pairs of cylinders (64, 64′), and in which the said means with worm-screws (67) discharge the bars into the bag (711) of a continuous transport device (71) which discharges the bundle of bars into a binder on the other side (72).
 13. A rolling mill which has a device according to any of claims 1-11.
 14. A rolling mill according to the previous claim, characterized by the fact that upstream it also has: means for pre-heating the material to be rolled (1); means for de-scaling the material (2); means for feeding the material (3); means for rolling the stock material (4); on-line cooling means of said stock rolled material and/or heat treatment means (5); means for cutting the stock rolled material to bars of a certain length with an alternated bar deviator (9) immediately above one or the other of the said pairs of cylinders (64, 64′).
 15. A method using a device for receiving and discharging bars (b, b′) fed forward in a longitudinal direction, preferably from a rolling mill and after being cut to length, of the type with two pairs of adjacent, counter-rotating rollers/drums (64, 64′), according to previous claims characterized by the fact that the said bars (b, b′) are sent alternately into a zone (S) immediately above each pair of said drums (64, 64′-A), which rotate and drag the bar between them in a downwards direction (B), and which subject the bar to elastic, friction compression in order to slow it down while it is being fed forward and then, continuing their rotation, make the bar fall (C) in a pick-up zone below (P/67). 